What We Do

We develop technology and services that ensure everyone has access to all that the internet has to offer. From the abundance of free education available, to gaining insights about the many different cultures around the globe, information is critical to building a more equitable and peaceful society.

At PCF, we work together with a single-minded focus. Driven by passion not profit, our team is committed to building technology and services that make a difference.

Our Impact

Tens of millions of people utilize PCF tools and services. Amara has enabled the creation of subtitles by volunteers and professional linguists, from 107 countries, for a broad scope of video content in over 100 languages. To date, over one million subtitles completed.

107Countries

100+Languages

1,000,000+Subtitles

A Unique Approach

We have built a unique culture. One that we want to foster, scale, and see reflected in the future of work, and the world at large. We started with a powerful premise – kindness would saturate every action in our organization, and infuse everything we did together.

Our org chart represented by a honeycomb captures this unique approach, where everyone is a critical component of making the structure strong. We work together toward a common goal, in an environment where every individual can thrive, grow, learn, and share their ideas.

RESULTS: Since we implemented this structure four years ago, we have seen a ninety-two percent annual retention rate, and increased our client base by 540 percent!

Our Team

Meet the talented, passionate, and fun-loving individuals who deliver innovative technologies and services that serve millions. We are an international and multicultural team!

Aleli Alcala

Chief Operations and Sustainability Officer

Aleli is our Chief Operations and Sustainability Officer. She and Dean are co-leaders at PCF. Aleli is passionate about creating a world where everyone has greater opportunity. She believes accessibility is critical to making this happen. Aleli loves to play tennis and go for long walks with her dog, Kaia. She is a graduate of the University of Washington, and has built successful endeavors for both for-profit and nonprofit organizations.

Rebecca Andruszka

Fundraising and Development Manager

Rebecca is our Fundraising and Development Manager. She is a fundraiser and nonprofit professional with more than a decade of experience. Rebecca is passionate about community-led solutions to local challenges, and tools that help people make change in their lives. She lives in Denver with her dog, enjoys gardening, biking, and exploring the mountains. She received her BA from New School for Social Research, and her MA from Hunter College.

Thais Barros

Project Manager, Key Accounts

Thais joined Amara in 2013 as a volunteer, and discovered her love for translation and languages. Thais holds a degree in Geography, but decided to invest her time in a translation career. She recently received her Translation Diploma from Estácio University. Thais lives in São Paulo, Brazil, with her partner Leonardo and their three dogs, Clara, Flor and Lucy. Thais has a passion for dogs, plants and veg food.

Allison Buford

Recruiter

Allison is a Recruiter for Amara. She started as a transcriptionist in 2015, while earning a degree in Mathematics. Her main goal was to make content available to wider audiences. When new recruiters were needed, she jumped at the chance to help others do the same. Allison is an avid autodidact – she spends most of her free time studying computer science and languages. Currently she is learning Javascript, RegEx, ASL, and Russian.

Rieann Brown

Testing, Documentation, and Support Manager

Rieann is a Testing, Documentation, and Support Manager. Our TDS team ensures our users get the support they need. Rieann’s education in environmental sociology and work with local groups, has only increased her passion for individuals working together for social systems that are fair for everyone. You can also find her playing in her organic garden, with dogs, friends and family, or just watching the stars dance.

Valentina Cordero

Accounting and Human Resources Manager

Val is our Accounting and HR Manager. She believes strongly that social justice starts at home, and strives to ensure that our team is well supported. She has degrees from The College of NJ and Boston University, and has stewarded multiple organizations toward increased organization and more efficient systems. Val is an unabashed foodie and cat lady. You might stumble upon her creating small-batch of artisanal raw food for her kitties.

Marilia Correia

Senior Project Manager, Amara On Demand

Marilia is a Senior Project Manager at Amara. She leads our efforts in On Demand daily operations. She lives in her hometown of Recife, Brazil. Marilia is passionate about creating a more inclusive world through subtitling, and started with Amara as a volunteer in 2013. She has a BA in Law from UFPE, and a Diploma in Translation Methodology from Fafire. Marilia loves to travel, learn about new cultures, go out with her friends, and watch movies.

Alice Dantas

Project Manager, Daily Ops

Alice is a Project Manager at Amara On Demand. She leads our client services efforts. Alice is from Brazil, and lives in her hometown of Recife. She holds a BA degree in Law, and a Diploma in Translation Methodology from Fafire. Passionate about language learning and translation, Alice believes that subtitling removes barriers to knowledge and information. She loves mystery novels, collecting vinyl records, and is a die-hard Star Wars fan.

Ben Dean-Kawamura

Chief Engineer

Ben is our Chief Engineer, and has been the chief architect of PCF and Amara technologies since 2006. He is currently the lead developer for Amara, and was previously lead developer for Miro. Ben has been writing computer programs since the 4th grade. He aspires to write free software that solves real-world problems. Ben enjoys playing chess, watching meteor showers, and hanging out with his wife and kids – Kristine, Harvey, Anne, and Mae.

Dean Jansen

Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer

Dean is our Executive Director, and Chief Executive Officer. He co-leads PCF with Aleli. Dean envisions a world where the work environment is a more collaborative and compassionate place. He lives in Boston with his partner Naomi. They especially enjoy hiking and roller skating! Dean is a current affiliate, former fellow, at Harvard's Berkman Klein Center, as well as the Data & Society Research Institute, where his focus is the Future of Work.

Joanna Lam

Project Manager, Key Accounts

Joanna is a Project Manager at Amara on Demand. She studied Modern Languages, specializing in Spanish, English and French at Instituto Universitario Tecnológico Américo Vespucio. Joanna is passionate about translation, subtitling, and more recently, voice dubbing. She believes languages are a powerful bridge to bringing people and cultures together. She lives in Venezuela with her husband. Joanna enjoys cooking and baking for weekend family dinners.

Jenny Lam-Chowdhury

On Demand Operations Manager

Jenny is our Amara On Demand Operations Manager. She is passionate about the power of education and knowledge, and wants accessibility for everyone. Originally from Venezuela, Jenny now lives in NY with her husband, Iftekhar. She has a degree in International Studies and a diploma in Translation & Communication from NYU. Jenny enjoys learning new languages, volunteering, and loves different foods and literature from around the world.

Viviane Matta

Key Account Manager

Viviane is a Key Account Manager at Amara On Demand. She is an avid knowledge seeker, amateur chef, culture and language enthusiast who wants the communication barriers in the world torn down. After receiving her BA in Advertising from her native Lebanon, she worked in accounting, and tutored kids in French. She now lives in the Bay Area. Time allowing, Viviane works on her cookbook, develops her photography skills, and learns more languages.

Sebastiao Nascimento

Project Manager, Key Accounts

Sebastiao is a Project Manager at Amara On Demand. He joined our team in the early days of Amara, and is still as passionate about the platform and his teammates, as he was on day one. Sebastiao’s studies in Law, History and Social Sciences have brought him to Brazil, Germany, and Haiti. He is always eager to learn about languages and the boundless possibilities of communication across borders. Sebastiao lives with his beautiful family in Brazil.

Fran Ontanaya

Technical Operations Manager

Fran is our Technical Operations Manager. He joined Amara in 2013 to support our very first projects at Amara On Demand. His technical expertise provides solutions to our clients who have special subtitling requests. Also, the Tech Ops team handles media encodings, helps design workflows, guidelines, and software to ensure Amara On Demand runs smoothly. Fran is our expert in all things subtitling. He currently lives in Valencia, Spain.

Judit Pinol

Amara Enterprise Manager

Judit is our Amara Enterprise Manager. She works with our clients to ensure we meet their localization needs. Judit believes providing access to information is key to a better world. She has a background in media studies and translation, and found Amara during her travels, when looking to share video content with family back in Catalonia, Spain. She loves learning about regenerative agriculture, traveling, brewing beer and growing her own food.

Veronica Quaedvlieg

Testing, Documentation, and Support Manager

Veronica is a TDS Manager. Our TDS team ensures our users get the support they need. Veronica is currently living in Madrid, where she also has a language company. Traveling from an early age, Veronica learned the power of languages. She believes breaking language barriers is necessary for a safe world, where people can be who they want to be. Veronica is Dutch, loves dogs, handlettering, flamenco, and triathlon.

Natalia Savvidi

Project Manager, On Demand Partners

Natalia is a Project Manager at Amara On Demand. She started as a volunteer in 2012, and now leads our efforts in new partner development. Natalia got her degree in Physics, and worked for many years as a researcher, later as a programmer. Natalia has lived in several countries, and has learned lots of languages! Natalia has been living in Greece since 1993. She has six grandchildren, and likes skiing and playing tennis.

Kenzie Slottow

Product Development Manager

Kenzie is Amara’s Product Development Manager. With a background in music performance, Kenzie applies her artist’s perspective to helping us innovate and thoughtfully design improvements to the user experience. She aims to promote global empathy and collaboration through the platform. You can also find her writing songs, playing with her band, on a farm, hiking, dancing, or bouldering. Although based in Austin, Texas, Kenzie is often traveling!

Margarita Shamraeva

Quality Assurance Manager

Margarita is our Quality Assurance Manager. She is fascinated with information technology, the way it transforms people's lives and the new opportunities it offers. Margarita has worked on Amara and other PCF projects since 2010, and has over 10 years of experience in software quality assurance. She lives in Vancouver, Canada, and enjoys meeting people from different countries and cultures, learning new languages, and playing table tennis.

Jana Stotler

Accounting and Human Resources Manager

Jana co-leads our efforts in Accounting and Human Resources. Prior to joining Amara in 2016, Jana worked as a finance/accounting executive in several colleges, universities, and nonprofits. Born and raised in Wyoming, she now lives and loves life in Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica where she is able to pursue her hobby of photographing wildlife and birds. Jana is also an avid sloth watcher, and companion to her husband and six dogs.

Melanie Ty

Project Manager, Key Accounts

Melanie is a Project Manager at Amara On Demand. She believes in empowering women through continuous learning, so they can break free from societal norms. A graduate of Environmental Planning from the University of the Philippines, Melanie has 15 years of experience in research and project administration. She loves doing arts and crafts with her three girls, playing the piano, bowling, and reading Harry Potter during her spare time.

Stevie Varin

Recruiting Manager

Stevie is the Recruiting Manager for Amara. She believes in the free distribution of information across the globe, and is proud of Amara’s ability to break down language barriers. Stevie graduated cum laude from the University of California Santa Cruz with a BA degree in History. She’s also a tattoo artist in San Francisco. When she’s not drawing, Stevie loves to celebrate history with the Society for Creative Anachronism.

Raul Villalobos

Art Director and Illustrator

Raul is our Art Director and Illustrator. He lives in Seattle, WA and has called the Pacific Northwest home for 20 years. Raul is passionate about visual experiences and collaboration, and hopes to build empathy in the world through design and art. He has a BA in English from UofO, with work experiences at Amazon and Digital Kitchen. Raul loves fuzzy monsters, color, pen and ink, cooking for friends, and watching Wall-E see space for the first time.